The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-04-29

fer to keep my own counsel 50 sure as
VIE drop where Napoleon is Emperor,
and the 0D5ci0y J0sirna5 posted on the
walls of the Poste de Police, / prove that
one can keep secret better than two
am not, hope, unduly timorous, but
own that my heart sank within me as
heard these words, uttered with an en-
phatic ferocity which left no doubt of
the speakers stern resolve | had fully
made up my mind, should the desperate
at my side begin to realize his threats,
that ! would not be by any means pas
sive in the struggle; but his weapons
and his strength left little hope of sat-
isfactory ending to such contest.
There's something wrong with the
valves" said my companion roughly,
an hour later; the gas, diable is COM
ing down, and we are sinking. It's
for you, aeronaut, to ascend the netting
and stop the escape of gas"
was very reluctant to obey To
climb the netting of balloon, when at
great height above the earth, is never a
very pleasant task; but to do so, leaving
behind me ruffian who might at any
moment pistol or stab me as descended,
thus relieving himself from an neon
venient witness, was indeed irksome.
However, Risque-son-cou evinced such
vehement pertinacity, and swore so many
grisly oaths, that at last complied; ;
and, having adjusted the valve, crept back
to the car, sick and giddy, but unhurt.
The moon had faded away. There
were pale crimson streaks in what took
to be the Eastern sky, and below lay
through which CLEANED at intervals
ca Of fr,r 40 11ro4 1xn
marble pinnacles of the cathedral at
Milan. #s
Were steering straight. Fatality, for
once, befriends me-" exclaimed the des-
perate sharer of my journey, 'for mile
bombesl those are the peaks of the
Eastern Pyrenees. Chuck. out ballast,
boy. Don't let us ground on them"
We were, in reality, floating amongst
the serrated SUBMITS and snow-clad
mountain-tops of the huge chain of
mountains that forms a. natural barrier
between, Gaul and Spain Below, the
sullen cloud-bapks menaced elemental
war, and already 1ow-murmuring growls
of thunder reverberated among the SER
rated ridges beneath us.
\ Throw over more ballast commanded
my ruff1anly companion.
!. flung out, with some misgivings, the
remainder of the last bag of sand and
small pebbles, but the Defiance did not
rise. with its former buoyancy. Much
gas had been lost. The once smooth sur
face of the silk, painted in gaudy stripes
of pink and blue, was wrinkled now,
and fiuttered loosely in irregular fes-
toons. More than once it seemed as
though we must be dashed against some
on. of the towering peaks above which
the balloon slowly revolved.
Crash after crash, peal upon peal, rang
out the deep diapason of the thunder,
echoed from glen to glen, and from ridge
to ridge, while far and wide the light
ming sent its flaming arrows across
the darkling sky. How strange it
was to see beneath us those forked
shafts of dazzling light, to hear from
beneath us those awful rolls of heavens
own terrible artillery, and to float help
lessly above the raging tempest!
Day had broken; the sun was rising,
red and angry in the stormy Eastern
sky, and current of air waited the bal
loon rapidly forward; i could dimly dis
tinguish forest, and meadow, and spurs
of wood-clothed hills, lying to the south
ward of us. The snowy peaks, rosy-pink
in the morning radiance, were being
left behind US.
sHurrahl as you say, you other island
ers," cried out the galley-slave trium-
phantly, as he too scanned the landscape
"Vive la joie! We're well across the
frontier now, and Pierre Paul Grincheux
is as safe as any other Frenchman from
the odious summons to trudge back to
the chain-gang, and the rattan of the
garde-chiourme! Thank your stars, Eng
lishman-"
A stunning peal of thunder cut short
his boastful discourse, and as it did so
the Defiance heeled over, and was driven
like dead leaf before the gale, by the
sudden rush of mighty wind, that bore
us almost to the surface of the ground,
and hurried sus along with headlong
rapidity. Fields, woodlands, houses,
seemed to pass by us with feverish haste,
and still we sped onward, so near now
to the earth that momentarily expected
that we should become entangled among
the trees that doomed so near u.s.
What was that, like river of glanc-
ing water, on the dusty high road be-
meath us, the yellow road like a.
ribbon winding amid rocks and
thickets? Troops on the march, no
doubt, the sunlight glinting on their
DayOnetS. I. L could see that as we ap-
preached they came confusedly to a
halt.
Again, hurrah p shouted the galley
slave, ga cheer, noble Spaniards, for
your guest, Pierre Paul, now safely"
AS he spoke saw the earth very near
us, saw the soldiers run to right and left,
as though to clear the way for our pass
age, and then, with sickening crash,
the balloon and the car seemed to strike
against rock, and thousand sparks of
fire filed my bewildered eyes, and then
all grew dark
Hell live, this-one, never fear" said
CHEEKY voice speaking in the Spanish Ian
guage, which ] partially understood, as
awoke to find myself lying upon tuckle
bed in wayside cottage, surrounded by
a group. Of. officers, while regimental
surgeon was feeling my pulse. GIVE
him few more drops of the. brandy
Only couple of ribs the worse, think"
''And--and the man who was with
me?" asked feebly.
The doctor shook his head
mot your father or your brother,
trust, caballero?" he said "Ah, then,
NAV tell Won that his head was dashed